Dear Neighbor,

It’s hard to believe it’s already August!  I look forward to being home in Houston for a “District Work Period” this month.  Before the District Work Period begins, though, I am glad to share highlights from a very busy week in Washington, D.C.

It was a very busy week!  The House of Representatives passed legislation to fund the government and invest in projects and programs to address needs across our country.  I voted for H.R. 4502, a package containing seven Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Agriculture and Rural Development; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior and Environment; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.  We also voted on and passed H.R. 4373 on State and Foreign Operations appropriations legislation, and H.R. 4346 on Legislative Branch appropriations.  This legislation provides funding to invest in our national security, strengthen our democracy, bolster public health infrastructure, invest in our energy future, and expand broadband funding. 

Included in these major appropriations bills is funding specific to our community.  I am glad to report that all of the community-funded projects I requested are included in the proposed appropriations legislation, including the following in the bills that passed this week:

• $900,000 for the City of Houston Health Department to purchase a new Ambulance Mobile Stroke Unit to respond more quickly and appropriately to stroke victims and help increase their chance of survival without handicap.
• $782,000 for the City of Bellaire to address the deficient waterline infrastructure and improve water distribution and wastewater collection systems.  The funding will help repair and replace certain waterlines that are older than 50 years.
• $624,835 for the City of Jersey Village for a full street reconstruction of Seattle Street in Jersey Village from Senate Ave west to the dead end.  This project will replace water lines for approximately 55 homes and replace sewer lines for approximately 25 homes.  The whole street will receive new storm sewer lines that will help remove rain from the streets and hold it in the larger storm water pipes to help prevent street flooding and reduce the chance of home flooding on these blocks. 
• $450,000 for the City of Houston Fire Department to support their Emergency Telehealth and Navigation (ETHAN) project, where on-scene mobile technology is used to connect EMT care for low-acuity 911 patients with emergency physicians who have access to primary care resources within the community.

The House also passed an emergency security supplemental appropriations bill to respond to January 6 that provides emergency supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021 and helps in the evacuation and resettlement efforts for our Afghan allies.  Because the Senate passed this bill first, it was sent to the President and has been signed into law.  I was glad to see that so soon after Congress passed legislation to cut down Afghan SIV processing wait times, the first flight of Afghan interpreters arrived to the U.S.

In addition to taking many votes this week, it was also a busy legislative week in other ways.  I joined several colleagues in urging House leaders to advance bills to preserve voting rights as quickly as possible.

I was also glad to join an Oversight Committee hearing on the voting measures introduced in Texas and to hear from Texas State Representatives and other witnesses about what these proposed laws will mean for Texas voters.  It is vital that Congress know what is happening in Texas and across the country and that federal laws protect the fundamental right of all Americans to vote.  

I also co-sponsored several pieces of legislation this week, including:

1. H.R. 2358, the Voter Empowerment Act, to protect the voting rights of Americans by ensuring equal access to the ballot for every eligible voter, modernizing voter registration, and helping to eliminate deceptive practices that deter people from voting.
2. H.R. 4215, the Rebuilding Communities After Disasters Act, to increase the maximum loan amount for SBA physical damage disaster loans from $200,000 to $400,000 for home repair, and from $40,000 to $75,000 to replace household and personal belongings.
3. H.R. 4101, the Vanessa Guillen Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, to move the decision to prosecute serious crimes in the military from the chain of command.
4. H.R. 622, the Officer Brian D. Sicknick Congressional Gold Medal Act, to posthumously award Officer Brian Sicknick with the Congressional Gold Medal.
5. H.R. 1016, the Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act, to establish a dedicated Animal Cruelty Crimes Division at the Department of Justice to aid in the investigation, enforcement, and prosecution of felony animal cruelty crimes. 
6. H.R. 2090, the Student Loan Disclosure Transparency Act, to increase transparency in the federal student loan process and to give borrowers additional tools to understand and decrease their student debt burdens.
7. H.R. 3215, the Temporary Family Visitation Act, to establish a new B-3 nonimmigrant visa category specifically intended for relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
8. H.R. 3602, the Computer Science for All Act, to provide $250 million in new grants to support a diverse tech pipeline in pre-K through grade 12 education.  
9. H.R. 256, the FDA Modernization Act, to end a government requirement that animal testing be used to determine a drug's effectiveness on humans.

I also sent a letter calling on House leaders to include language to close the Medicaid coverage gap in reconciliation legislation and a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Brooks-LaSure asking CMS not to finalize its proposal to continue the Trump Administration’s cuts to 340B hospitals.

This week I joined the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy for a hearing on “The Changing Energy Landscape: Oversight of FERC” where we heard testimony from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) commissioners on a range of issues, including its investigation into ERCOT's actions during the Texas Winter Storm, and I joined the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce for a hearing on how to modernize consumer protection and support the work of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). 

The Science, Space and Technology committee held a full committee markup on several bills, including the “National Institute of Standards and Technology for the Future Act of 2021”; H.R. 3858, the “National Science and Technology Strategy Act of 2021”; H.R. 4588, the “Regional Innovation Act of 2021”; H.R.4606, the “Energizing Technology Transfer Act”; H.R. 4599, the “Steel Upgrading Partnerships and Emissions Reduction Act” or “SUPER Act of 2021.”

When I am in Washington, I love the chance to see Houstonians on the Hill.  Since the Capitol has been closed since last March, I haven’t had the chance to see many Houstonians on the Hill in more than a year.  I was so glad to have a chance to visit briefly with TX-07 neighbors who were visiting D.C. outside the Capitol this week.

I was also glad to meet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers executive team to discuss an update on their projects and the progress on projects in our district, and of course visit with other constituents about important matters coming before the Congress.

This week I was glad to announce that Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) will receive $36.7 million in FEMA funding to help repair Addicks Reservoir channels from damages caused by Hurricane Harvey and to restore channels to pre-Harvey levels of conveyance.  I am glad to continue advocating for flood recovery funding in our area as these funds will ensure we can continue our restoration efforts and help make our community more resilient.

Our community is heartbroken over the tragic death of David Castro.  On the House Floor this week, I shared his family's wish that we remember him with random acts of kindness, and hope all seeing this message will do so -- in his home district in TX-07 and across the country.  You can watch my remarks to honor David’s life here.

Our community continues to see an increase in COVID cases.  More than 5,600 Texans are currently hospitalized for COVID, and the state recorded an additional 10,082 confirmed cases on Wednesday — the largest daily counts for both metrics since February, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state health data.  The chart below documenting hospitalizations over the past month in the greater Houston area shows COVID-19 hospitalizations increased from fewer than 500 at the end of June to nearly 1,500 this week.

Experts said the Delta variant is driving this surge because it’s so much more contagious than previous versions. That’s why they’re encouraging more precautions, including masking indoors, to prevent its spread.

With the increase in the Delta variant and updated CDC guidance, I want to make your questions about the developments in the COVID-19 pandemic are answered.  I am hosting a virtual COVID-19 Community Conversation with State Representative Ann Johnson and our neighbor and world-renowned immunologist Dr. Peter Hotez this Tuesday, August 3, at 5:00pm.  Click here or on the graphic below to RSVP!

I am proud to represent you and here to help.  If you need assistance with a federal agency, want to share your thoughts, or have any questions, please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571, or email me here.  I am always glad to hear from you.

With best wishes,